Programmable power supply

Abstract

A progammable power supply for providing a regulated DC output power is disclosed. The power supply provides the output power to any one of a plurality of electronic devices adapted for receiving the output power at an operational voltage or an operational current. The power supply receives a programming signal to maintain the output power at the operational voltage or operational current associated with a particular selected electronic device. Accordingly, by varying the programming signal, the power supply can be programmed to provide output power to any one of several electronic devices having differing input power requirements.

1 . A small form factor power supply, comprising: 
 a low profile transformer for the power supply, the low profile transformer including: 
 a transformer core formed of a ferrite material,  
 primary coil windings on a first layer of a printed circuit board, the primary coil windings surrounding a first part of the transformer core, and  
 secondary coil windings on a second layer of the printed circuit board, the secondary coil windings surrounding a second part of the transformer core; and  
   a rectifier to receive a voltage from the secondary coil windings and to rectify the voltage to generate a rectified voltage.    
     
     
         2 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 1 , further including additional secondary coil windings on the second layer of the printed circuit board, the additional secondary coil windings surrounding a third part of the transformer core.  
     
     
         3 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer of the circuit board is located below the second layer of the circuit board.  
     
     
         4 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 1 , wherein the first part of the transformer core is disposed in a first cutout of the printed circuit board.  
     
     
         5 . The low profile transformer of  claim 4 , wherein the second part of the transformer core is disposed in a second cutout of the printed circuit board.  
     
     
         6 . The low profile transformer of  claim 1 , wherein the first part of the transformer core is spaced apart from the second part of the transformer core.  
     
     
         7 . A small form factor power supply, comprising: 
 a transformer for the power supply, the transformer including: 
 a transformer core made of a ferrite material, the transformer core including a first leg and a second leg; and  
 primary coil windings surrounding the first leg of the transformer core, the primary coil windings being located on a first printed circuit board layer;  
 secondary coil windings surrounding the secondary leg of the transformer core, the secondary coil windings being located on a second printed circuit board layer, wherein the second printed circuit board layer is above the first printed circuit board layer; and  
   a rectifier to receive a voltage from the secondary coil windings and to rectify the voltage to generate a rectified voltage.    
     
     
         8 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 7 , the transformer core further including a base plate, the base plate being attached to the first leg and the second leg of the transformer core.  
     
     
         9 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 8 , the first leg being disposed in a position parallel to a first edge of the base plate and the second leg being disposed in a position perpendicular to a second edge of the base plate, wherein the first edge is on an opposite side of the base plate from the second edge.  
     
     
         10 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 7 , wherein the first leg of the transformer core is located in a first cutout of the first printed circuit board layer.  
     
     
         11 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 10 , wherein the second leg of the transformer core is located in a second cutout of the second printed circuit board layer.  
     
     
         12 . A small form factor power supply, comprising: 
 a transformer, the transformer including, 
 a transformer core made of ferrite material;  
 first secondary coil windings disposed on a first printed circuit board layer, the first secondary coil windings surrounding a first part of the transformer core;  
 primary coil windings disposed on a second printed circuit board layer, the primary coil windings surrounding a second part of the transformer core; and  
 second secondary coil windings disposed on a third printed circuit board layer, the second secondary coil windings surrounding a third part of the transformer core; and  
   a rectifier to receive a voltage from the first secondary coil windings and the second secondary coil windings to rectify the voltage to generate a rectified voltage.    
     
     
         13 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 12 , wherein the primary coil windings are is located in between the first secondary coil windings and the second secondary coil windings.  
     
     
         14 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 12 , wherein the second printed circuit board layer is located below the first printed circuit board layer.  
     
     
         15 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 12 , wherein the second printed circuit board layer is located between the first printed circuit board layer and the third printed circuit board layer.  
     
     
         16 . A small form factor power supply, the power supply including: 
 a low profile transformer, the low profile transformer including: 
 a transformer core made of ferrite material,  
 primary coil windings disposed on a first printed circuit board layer, the primary coil windings surrounding a first leg of the transformer core,  
 first secondary coil windings disposed on a second printed circuit board layer, the first secondary coil windings surrounding a second leg of the transformer core, and  
 second secondary coil windings disposed on a third printed circuit board layer, the second secondary coil windings surrounding a third leg of the transformer core; and  
   a rectifier to receive a voltage from the first secondary coil windings and the second secondary coil windings to rectify the voltage to generate a rectified voltage.    
     
     
         17 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 16 , further including a base plate to which the first leg, the second leg, and the third leg are attached, wherein the second leg and the third leg are attached to the base plate on opposite edges of the base plate.  
     
     
         18 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 16 , wherein the first leg is attached to the base plate in between the second leg and the third leg.  
     
     
         19 . A small form factor power supply, comprising: 
 a low profile transformer, the low profile transformer including 
 a core, the core including a base plate, a first leg made of ferrite material attached to the base plate, and a second leg made of ferrite material attached to the base plate,  
 primary windings which surround the first leg of the ferrite material, and  
 secondary windings which surround the second leg of the ferrite material; and  
   a rectifier to receive a voltage from the secondary windings to rectify the voltage to generate a rectified voltage.    
     
     
         20 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 19 , wherein the primary windings horizontally surround the first leg of the ferrite material.  
     
     
         21 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 20 , wherein the secondary windings horizontally surround the second leg of the ferrite material and the primary windings and secondary windings lie in parallel planes with respect to each other.  
     
     
         22 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 20 , further including a third leg of made of ferrite material attached to the base plate as part of the core and additional secondary windings which surround the third leg made of ferrite material.  
     
     
         23 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 22 , wherein the primary windings horizontally surround the first leg of ferrite material, the secondary windings horizontally surround the second leg of ferrite material, and the additional secondary windings horizontally surround the third leg of ferrite material.  
     
     
         24 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 22 , wherein the primary windings, the secondary windings, and the additional secondary windings lie in parallel planes with respect to each other.  
     
     
         25 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 22 , further including a fourth leg made of ferrite material attached to the base plate as part of the core and additional primary windings which surround the first leg of the ferrite material, wherein the primary windings, the additional primary windings, the secondary windings, and the additional secondary windings lie in parallel planes with respect to each other.  
     
     
         26 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 25 , wherein the primary windings are located in a plane below a plane in which the secondary windings are located.  
     
     
         27 . The small form factor power supply of  claim 26 , wherein the primary windings and the additional primary windings are located in planes beneath planes in which the secondary windings and the additional secondary windings are located.